Family NOMEIDAE

Nomeidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Syntype of Cubiceps whiteleggii

© Copyright Waite, 1894

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Introduction

Members of the Nomeidae, or driftfishes, occur worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions. Three genera and 15 species are currently recognised (Haedrich 1990; McDowall 1994), with all three genera and 11 species known from Australia.

Nomeids are typically oceanic, with juveniles sometimes associated with Physalia or jellyfishes. They are not part of major fisheries in Australia. The maximum length achieved is around 1 m, but most species are smaller.

Butler (1979) and Agafonova (1994) revised Cubiceps, and Haedrich (1967) treated the monotypic Nomeus and species of Psenes. Last (2001) and Parin & Piotrosky (2004) treated some Australian species. The identity of Psenes maculatus, recorded by Kuiter (1993) from Australian waters, based on a juvenile, is uncertain; this species is not included here.

General References

Agafonova, T.B. 1994. Systematics and distribution of Cubiceps (Nomeidae) of the world ocean. Journal of Ichthyology 34(5): 116-143 figs 1-16

Butler, J.L. 1979. The nomeid genus Cubiceps (Pisces) with a description of a new species. Bulletin of Marine Science 29(2): 226-241 figs 1-12

Haedrich, R.L. 1967. The stromateoid fishes; systematics and a classification. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 135(2): 31-139 figs 1-56

Haedrich, R.L. 1990. Centrolophidae, Nomeidae, Ariommidae, Stromateidae, Tetragonuridae. pp. 1010-1022 in Quéro, J.-C., Hureau, J.-C., Karrer, C., Post, A. & Saldanha, L. (eds). Check-list of the Fishes of the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. Paris : UNESCO 1492 pp., 3 vols.

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

Last, P.R. 2001. Nomeidae, Ariommatidae, Tetragonuridae. pp. 3771-3785 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

McDowall, R.M. 1994. Family Nomeidae. pp. 839-843, figs 742-745 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs.

Parin, N.V. & Piotrovsky, A.S. 2004. Stromateoid fishes (suborder Stromateoidei) of the Indian Ocean (species composition, distribution, biology, and fisheries). Journal of Ichthyology 44(Suppl. 1): 33-62

Common Name References

Last, P.R. 2001. Nomeidae, Ariommatidae, Tetragonuridae. pp. 3771-3785 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218. [3771] (Cigarfishes)

Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds) 1986. Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls. [846] (Driftfishes)

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